The Portland daily press., 1887-02-22
XLIXth CONGRESS- SECOND SESSION.
.'Mzsn1NaroN. Eel. D.

Is
The presiding officer presented messages
from the President, already published, veto
ing the bills granting pensions to John Reed,
Sr., and Charlotte w. Neal. Referred to the
committee on pensions
Mr.. Hoar introduced bill for the recov-
cry of internal revenue taxes and penalties
enormously assessed and paid in certain
cases. Referred to the committee on
finance.
Mr.. Morgan offered a resolution authoriz-
ing the committee on ordnance to sit in
Washington during the recess, and to asso-
ciate with it three naval officers. Adopted.
The Senate at 2.40 o'clock resumed con-
sideration of the river and harbor appropria-
tiOn BILL
Various changes were made, the item
for Rouse's Point, n. Y, being increased
from 81, 500 to $4,000; the item for the Mar
rows at Lake Champlain from $4,000 to
$4,000, AMI the item for Burlington, VT,
from So, 500 to S25,000.
The bill was reported to the Senate to the
committee of the whole and was passed with
out division. A committee of conference
was asked on points of difference between
the two Houses.
bill to incorporate the Maritime Company Of
Nicaragua.
The question as to other companies having
charters from the republic of Nicaragua was
brought up by Mr. Hoar, and in connection
with 1t Mr.. Vest mentioned the American.
having charter from Nicaragua, and said
he had been informed by the president of
the company that the company had expend-
ed O,OOO in surveys and work, and that
a concession was still in full force. He sent
to the Clerks desk and had read an opinion
of an eminent legal firm in New York to the
effect that the right which was conferred
upon the company (under the contract Of
1S4g survived unimpaired.
Mr.. Vest sent to the clerks desk and had
read communication from the pracidant ~
the American, Atlantic and Pacific Ships
Canal company, dated June 80 1886, claim
ing that the company was legally authorized,
the corporation having charter from the
republic OF Nicaragua, that the company
had the exclusive right and privilege to con-
struct, own and manage ship canal across
the Territory of Nicaragua from the Allan
tic TO the Pacific ocean, that the right sur
viyed unimpaired, that the location of the
canal had been fixed from San Juan ON the
| Atlantic ocean to Lake Nicaragua, and
| thence to Brlto ON the Pacific ocean, that the
| company had expended large sums of money
| in the improvement of the San Juan river,
| and had recently made contracts for all the
| locks, gates, valves and machinery, and for
/ the construction of the western division of
| the canal from the Lake to the Pacific ocean,
| and that in order to provide sufficient funds
the company mad been authorized to issue
| $1O00O0O00 of the first mortgage bonds and
had delivered portion of them, and exc
cuted a mortgage on all this property for
| S10O,000000.
Mr.. Vest offered an amendment that the
| act shall have no force or effect until conces-
sion shall have been secured from the gov
ernment Of Nicaragua, and shall have been
| submitted to and approved by Congress. He
claimed that this company had no conces-
sion. The canal was to be constructed over
| line where there was dispute as to the
territory between Costa Rica and Nicaragua,
Costa Rica now claiming 0ne-tenth of the
tolls to be collected, and the American gov
ernment was to commit itself by this bill to
all military necessities arising out of the ca
nal, to the building of navy and to the
maintaining of an army ready to march by
land in order to defend Lake Nicaragua
The passage of this bill would be taking a
leap In the dark" There was no more idea
demand than there, was of any
other transaction that might occur
in coming years. They knew by the past
however, that Nicaragua would demand
money Besides all other objections to the
bill the United States government in giving
England which would strongly assert hel
rights to share in the control of the canal
He read the opinions of engineers adverse K
the feasibility of ithe Nicaragua canal, ant
to show its enormous cost mot less thar
$500, ,OOO,O ,OOO). No ship canal lone of thes'
papers asseretd) had ever been constructed
through seven miles of rock cutting, as wa
necessary here. He was opposed to granting
a charter Until all doubts We're removed, un
til the disputes between Costa Rica anC
Nicaragua were fully settled, and until, tn,
misunderstanding with Great Britain as t
the Clayton-Bulwer treaty was entirely re
moved.
MIR. Edmunds replied to Mr.. Vest. HI
dissepted entirely from the views expressed
some time ago by the Senator tno from from Massa
wer treaty. de denied Ia toto the insinuatiol
that this bill had been withheld until tn
Eads scheme had been put upon the calendar
California years before Eads had thought o
his scheme. The opposition to this bin, b
said, had not leg 70 stand upon: The singl
! Of Eads was to turn over the Nicaragu
canal to the hands Of some some other foreig
instead Of BEING antsd gpSer the in
The question was then taken on MI
Vests amendment and it was directed with
out division. The plIl was tnen PASSED
Yeas. 3S; nays, five. Inc nays were Messr'
|